


Let the Morning Come

by TatsuKitty



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Compliant, Cat Stiles, Derek is tragic batman werewolf, Humor, Kinda?, M/M, Magic Stiles, Pining, Post S4, Stiles is Magic, Stiles isn't actually a cat, happy ending!, slightly angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 18:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3457151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TatsuKitty/pseuds/TatsuKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Stiles casts a spell with good intention and ends up taking the place of his alternate universe self-- a self that's typically a five pound cat belonging to Laura and Derek Hale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let the Morning Come

**Author's Note:**

> This was all inspired because my last roommates had two cats, Stiles Stilinskitty and Roxas. XD I could NOT get the idea out of my head, so i had to write it.  
> This fic was Beta'd by Ashby and she made it SO DAGGUM MUCH BETTER OMG.  
> Any mistakes left are totes my fault!

‘To undo a wrong that has been done...’

The spell looked innocent enough. Stiles traced his finger over it one more time, mind going over the possibilities. ‘To right a wrong that has been done’… The wrongs of the past years flew through his head at warp speed until his brain got stuck on loop of digging up Laura’s grave all those years ago and the quiet, sad face Derek wears when he forgets he is Zen now.

Stiles heart skipped a beat thinking about it. He stared, unseeing, at the paper until Malia poked him in the temple.

“Mooning about again?” She asked, flopping back onto his bed.

“Practicing magic.” He gestured to the book and then itched at his growing stubble.

She looked up at him and just shook her head with a wince, narrowing her eyes in slight distrust at the book.

Things with Malia had reached a weird sibling point that he wasn’t really comfortable poking at yet. His dad was going through with formal adoption papers now.

Since they were about to be legal siblings, she’d spent a lot of time bonding with the other pack members and pretending she and stiles had never dated. Stiles had spent a lot of time since the trip to Mexico: part two being amazed that he’d missed his giant, pathetic, unrequited man crush on Derek.

“Love spells?” She teased a little bit, still maintaining a dubious look. He flipped her off and she blew him a kiss.

“Those are against the Rules.”

“There are rules? It’s never seemed like a really rule based practice to me.” She looked puzzled.

“Yep. Free will is a thing.” He nodded and traced the spell. “This one… is to right a wrong.”

“How specific.” She made a dubious face at the book and then shrugged. “Dad wants to have pizza. Yes, he already ordered the veggie lovers.” She laughed as she stood and headed out of the room.

“Alright, I’ll be down in a bit. I want to try this first.” He gave her a smile and laughed when she rolled her eyes at him.

“Magic addict.” She teased from the hallway.

He turned back to the book and quickly gathered the little bit he would need. He lit a small bundle of sage incense and took a few deep breathes before carefully reciting the words.

There was a huge flash of light that made his eyes water before something smacked him right in the center of his chest and everything went black.

** * **

Stiles blinked himself awake to the sound of a female voice calling out to him. He looked around, and the room he was in was completely foreign to him. He pressed a palm to his forehead.

“Stiles? Stiles, baby!! C’mere!” The woman called again. His heart stuttered in his chest. ‘Was… his mom?’

He threw himself out of the room and quickly found the stairs, heading down. The woman laughed a bit and he poked his head into the kitchen. His stomach hit the floor with disappointment when he saw that it was a young woman with her dark hair in a bun on top of her head.

“Stiles, you sound like a herd of elephants.” She teased.

“Sorry.” He shrugged a bit, trying not to sound too petulant. She jolted around and screamed at the top of her lungs.

“AHHH!”

“AHH WHAT?!” He startled and dropped into the world’s most awkward fighting stance as she grabbed a couple of wooden spoons and held them out in front of herself like swords. There was something familiar about her, in the cheekbones and the eyes and the way her red painted lips pulled.

“Who the hell are you?!” She waggled the spoons for emphasis.

“Stiles? You just hollered for me!” He gestured back at her.

“I was calling for the CAT!” She yelped in return.

“What happened?” A familiar voice came from behind him. Stiles turned to find Derek fresh from the shower clutching a towel with a couple sudsy patches still over his totally naked and wet chest. Hnng.

“Oh thank god! Why am I here?” Stiles asked Derek, who gave him that age old ‘why is crazy talking to me’ face.

“He said he is Stiles!” The girl gestures at him with both spoons.

“Stop with the spoons, Laura.” Derek sighed and pushed his wet hair out of his face. Stiles’ took a moment to stare at him in abject confusion and process before the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

“Oh god. The spell.” He felt the blood drain out of his face. That was why he recognized her; he’d seen her corpse.

“Spell?” Laura immediately frowned harder.

“I… I did a spell. To right a wrong. You’re—You’re alive…” He reached out and poked at her. She shrieked again and whacked him with a spoon.

“Hands off, creeper!” She climbed up onto the counter like Stiles was a spider. Strong hands pushed up the sleeves of his hoodie.

“What are you doing?” he frowned at Derek. A drop of water dripped off the sharp point of his nose.

“Checking you for track marks or weapons.”

“Couldn’t you just smell the drugs?” He felt like he was speaking from the bottom of a well and blinked slowly.

“…Drug users don’t typically have a scent.” Derek frowned.

“Even to werewolves?”

Laura sucked in a sharp gasp and Derek looked at her with wider eyes.

“How…”

“I know you! I know both of you! Except you—“ He points at Derek. “—are a tragic batman werewolf and you—“He gestures to Laura. “—are dead! ...because of your crazy ass uncle!” He flails and then sank down into a crouch and put his head between his knees.

“Peter?” Derek sounded upset and Laura gently climbed down off the counter. Derek immediately grabbed her up in a hug.

“Ugh, baby bro, you’re all soapy still.” She griped but hugged him back anyway. Stiles took a couple deep breaths that did nothing to make him feel less dizzy. “I was never dead!” She protested again.

“Almost.” Derek muttered and clung to her.

“Almost?” Stiles ask, sliding to sit against the wall.

“Peter tried to kill me. Derek, the stubborn ass, followed me in time to save me.” Laura replied. “How do YOU know us? Derek, for the love of—Go put some pants on!” She shooed him and he blushed up the back of his neck and over his cheekbones before sheepishly nodding and scuttling off to do so. Stiles boggled after him for a moment, the act so far out of character for the Derek he knew.

“It’s… kinda surreal seeing you.” Stiles blinked at her. “So. My dad is the sheriff. He got a call in about a body in the woods. So… I dragged my friend Scott out to go look for it.” He started. He rambled out the tale, back tracking every so often when Laura prompted him with a question. Her face was set in a stern frown that was almost a twin to Derek’s.

She definitely looked pissed when he told her that the body found was hers. Then followed it up with getting arrested for Derek’s murder, along with all the endless shit life threw on Derek’s head.

“Good god.” She sat cross legged and stunned across from him when he finished.

“The spell was to right a wrong. I think it kind of righted a lot of them just by keeping you around. I’ve been doing my best to look out for Derek bu—“

“So your brilliant idea was to meddle with magic?” She gestured angrily at him, tugging her hair. “No one thought this was a bad idea?”

“We save each other’s lives, it’s like what we do! I may also have not really told anyone else I was going to do this one teeny little thing that could potentially save us from almost weekly danger?”

“Your lives shouldn’t have even been in danger!” She made a frustrated sound and then leveled a look he swore he’d seen Derek make before, all sighing and rolled eyes and long suffering.

“Well, they definitely were. Are. Usually are. Scott’s the alpha now, something called a True Alpha?” he shrugged helplessly. Laura looked dubious. “Scott didn’t honestly think about what would happen to Derek. His mom and I tag teamed on that one. I’m actually pretty sure that Scott baked Derek cookies at one point.”

“So why cast the spell at all?”

“I just… wanted to make Derek better.” He sighed and then startled. “Not that there’s anything wrong with him! Not better like fix him, better like… make his life better. Make him happier.”

Laura’s face softened a bit, eyes widening in realization. Stiles squirmed and looked away. He found he couldn’t look her in the eye anymore.

“Stiles, the cat one, is Derek’s therapy cat. He… we didn’t do so well after the fire. I wanted to get as far away from here as possible but… then the deputy came by with this gangly little kitten. He said the poor guy had lost his family and needed a home. So, we got the apartment here and took him in. Derek immediately latched on and his therapist said it was a good thing. Coping method.” She explained.

“Deputy Stilinski?” Stiles asked, remembering his dad the night after the fire.

“Yeah. So Derek named it.. ugh I can’t ever say it right! Still-ins-kitty. That’s why Stiles became a thing.” She grinned.

“Stilinskitty. That’s… kinda precious.” He put a hand to the aching spot in his chest. “I.. don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. This is really different. I.. what if I messed up my home? What if I messed up here?!”

“That I don’t know…”

“Is… Deaton still here?”

“No. He left when mom died. Marin is here, though.”

“I think I might need to see her.” He decided after a moment’s hesitation. Laura looked a little relieved, which he couldn’t really fault her for. He’d want to get his cat turned human checked out by the local magical aid too, were their positions reversed.

Derek trotted back to the kitchen slightly damp, wearing a soft sweater with thumbholes—for fucks sake—and a pair of tight jeans. Stiles gulped audibly and tried to ignore the bemused and concerned look on Derek’s face. He could obviously hear Stiles’ heart beat hit Mach Ten the way it always did when confronted with Derek’s face expressing anything other than angst or murder and that was embarrassing.

“He wants to go see Morrell.” Laura informed Derek and then stood, brushing her hands off on her own jeans. She went and slid on a baggy leather jacket that looked way too familiar.

“Hey, Derek wore that a lot before.” Stiles grinned. “Did that used to be his here?”

“No. It was our father’s.” Laura murmured. Derek clammed up, looking around like he was searching for something. Laura carefully took his hand and he nodded a bit.

“He… never said. I’m sorry.” Stiles winced a bit. “I’m pretty awesome at putting my foot in my mouth.”

“Too bad that doesn’t keep you quiet.” Derek replied with an arched brow.

“Snark travels through time and space, awesome.” Stiles grinned at him unrepentantly. “You’ll soon learn, I am never quiet.”

“Well, fits with the cat Stiles too. Nothing like yowling at three in the morning to make your displeasure over the empty food bowl known.”

“Sounds like me.” He agreed as he climbed in the backseat of the Camaro so Derek could have the front.

True love right there.

** * **

Marin Morrell had a pixie cut and was working at the veterinary clinic. Stiles wondered if great power led to little hair and pet his own hair protectively. She poked and prodded at Stiles with interest before pulling the book he had used off the shelf.

“This spell? This one right here?”

“Yes. It says to right a wrong!” He gesticulated to it and then itched his fingers reflexively against the back of his head.

“No, it doesn’t. It means to change a wrong. To change a world. Essentially, to change realities.”

“That means I’m in an alternate reality?” He gestured expansively around the room, narrowly avoiding Laura’s nose with the back of his knuckles. Derek was leaning under the sunny window looking relaxed and even a little bored. It made everything that little touch more surreal.

“Yes, which is much preferable to the alternative. IF you’d managed to change the past you might have managed to make yourself not exist any longer.” She shook her head.

“So what do we do now?”

“Do you want to stay here?” She gestured around at the office. “In a reality that’s not yours?”

“No, not particularly. I miss my family.”

“Give me a couple days to make up a potion. You’ll have to drink it.” She cautioned.

“I bet that will taste delicious.” He wrinkled his nose. She just smiled blandly at him.

“You can leave now.” She opened a hand towards the door. He nodded and shuffled off to give the news to Laura and Derek.

** * **

“Fantastic.” Derek deadpanned after Stiles summed up the situation.

“I know, the joy of my company is practically overwhelming.” He countered. “You don’t even know me! You love Stiles the cat, right? Stiles the human is like Stiles plus!”

“Stiles the cat is a lot cuter than you.”

“That hurts, Derek.” Stiles pressed a palm over his own heart. “You wound me with your words.”

“…You’re not lying.” Derek remarked, looking confused. Stiles felt a flush splotch across his cheeks.’yeah that’s gotta be super attractive’ he mentally winced and made a face at Derek.

“No werewolf powers!” He protested and then scuffed a foot on the ground. “I’m supposed to avoid meeting people. House arrest style, apparently.”

“I have Netflix.” Laura said, consolingly.

“You are a goddess among women and my new favorite Hale.”

“Who was your old favorite?” She laughed.

“I didn’t have one.” He straightened up and attempted a disdainful sniff.

“Liar!” They chorused in unison.

** * **

Vegging out and watching Netflix lost a little of its sheen when Stiles literally had nothing else to do. He itched to look through the internet and research this time line. He wanted to know this universe’s Scott McCall and see his dad. He wondered about Erica and Boyd and Isaac…about Allison. He had to keep consoling himself with an hour countdown until he returned.

He had spent the night on the couch, but barely slept because he didn’t have his pillow and he couldn’t burrito in the middle of the bed.

In the morning, Laura and Derek kept forgetting that he was a human. Stiles made sure to be as obnoxious about it as possible.

“Stiles baby!”

“Yes, sugar wolf?” He simpered at her from about an inch away.

“Ugh.” She pushed his face away from her with a palm flat over it. “I was going to give you breakfast. Want fancy feast?” She waggled a can at him.

“As appealing as that is, I’d settle for some toast.” He rubbed his nose. “Don’t push my nose like that, it’s already all upturned. You’ll make me look like a pig more than I usually do.”

“You don’t look like a pig.” She made a weird face at him and then threw some toast. He flailed and tried to catch it but it hit the ground. “oh shit, sorry. Human reflexes.” She winced in apology and popped a couple more pieces in the toaster.

“I kick ass at reflexes. It’s just limited to the video game world.” He flopped into a seat at the kitchen table. Derek wandered in wearing nothing but sweatpants. Stiles tried not to whimper out loud. The universe was testing him. His own Derek, His universe’s Derek, that is, was a fan of being covered when he wasn’t in full fledged wolf mode these days. It made him think of Derek playing along when he’d had Danny over and he cracked a lopsided smile.

Derek had his face stuck in a book and absentmindedly reached out and scratched through Stiles’ hair. He froze, wide eyed, and tried to do nothing to discourage it. The sensation was a good one and sent goose bumps up and down his arms.

“Toast.” Laura turned with it and barely managed not to drop it a second time. “Derek! You’re petting him!”

“Wha--? OH.” Derek jumped like Stiles bit him and flushed all the way to his collar bones. “I… sorry. You still smell like Stiles the cat…”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” Stiles winced when his voice was not nearly as level as it should have been. “I’m kinda a tactile dude. I held you up in a pool for two hours once in my universe.”

They both stared at him for a moment before staring at each other. Derek sat down across from him with a cup of coffee so full of cream and sugar that it was white and a bowl of lucky charms.

“We’re friends, in your world?” Derek asked. Stiles nodded.

“We didn’t get along at first but yeah, we’re friends.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t really elaborate.” Laura crunched into her own toast and eyed Derek’s sugary cereal like it was offensive. “How can you eat that much sugar? Ugh.”

“It’s good.” Derek shrugged a shoulder up and took an extra marshmellowy bite. He chewed it close to Laura and she poked him in his side. He jolted like it tickled and snorted milk out of his nose.

“God, you’re both freaking dorks. I kind of love it.” Stiles laughed and took a big bite out of his toast after he smothered it in butter and jam. “Derek and grumpy cat could normally be twins. But, he’s a giant teddy bear, isn’t he?”

“DERBEAR!” Laura crowed.

“No, Laura! You promised!” He protested loudly.

“Derbear!” She chanted and cackled as he chased her around the kitchen with the hastily rolled up newspaper he snagged from the table the second loop around. It ended when

Derek whacked her with the newspaper until she cried for mercy, laughing all the while.

“So… Star Wars marathon?” Stiles asked. Derek was flopped on his back panting after running around chasing Laura. Stiles is pretty sure the scent of his jealousy could be smelled from space. Despite the current irrefutable evidence, this Derek was very hard to reconcile with the Derek he knew. He couldn’t imagine their pack running around and playing like this, with Derek so relaxed, open and laughing easily.

“I’m down.” Laura grinned at him.

“Best Hale Ever.”

“You’re going to give me a complex.” Derek muttered as she helped him off the floor.

“I told you, cats only love you when you feed them. I fed him, ergo!” She gestured to Stiles.

“I’m not a cat.” He laughed and flicked a bit of crust at Derek. “What, want me to cuddle up on your lap and purr?”

Derek flushed bright red and dove for the couch with a sullen ‘no.’. Laura laughed so hard he thought she might piss her pants.

Stiles totally wasn’t disappointed by the no. He didn’t actually think he could purr anyway.

** * **

“Bored.” Stiles declared after the credits rolled. Both Hales stared at him and blinked a bit. They clearly hadn’t been prepared for his encyclopedic knowledge of all things Lucas. Derek looked slightly awed.

“He… he can talk for nine hours straight.”

“I think he talks in his sleep…” Laura sounded shell shocked.

“I do.” He nodded at her. “…I’m gonna cook.” He hopped over the back of the couch and into the kitchen before they finished shooting each other horrified looks.

“Oh, that’s totally not needed!” Laura protested. Stiles had already covered the counter in ingredients for his mother’s chicken and dumplings. He grabbed a knife and started humming ‘dick in a box’ under his breath while he chopped. Derek made a strangled noise as he watched the knife.

“Dude, I’m good with a knife. Promise.” he started chopping celery as the chicken boiled. “My mom and Allison both taught me. One was fillet-o-chicken, the other was how to fillet a hunter. Never actually practiced that one.” He smiled but he knew it didn’t meet his eyes.

“You’re sad.” Derek sounded confused.

“Yeah. They died.” Stiles shrugged. He left it at that, despite their questioning looks.

“What are you making?” Laura asked after a brief pause.

“Chicken and Dumplings ala Stilinski.” He flourished with his fingers. Derek looked constipated again. Noted.

“We haven’t had homemade in years.” She smiled. “Derbear flooded the kitchen last time.”

“I didn’t have a stock pot! It was fine until I put the dumplings in and then it just overflowed everywhere.” He protested, wrinkling his nose at the name. Stiles laughed a bit and just kept working on the food. They bickered good naturedly in the background until Stiles served up bowls brimming with thick dumplings, broth, and chicken.

“It’s pretty hot.” He cautioned but they had both already taken big spoonfuls of the soup and eaten it. “Never mind, werewolf healing?” he laughed a bit.

They ate in companionable silence until Stiles boggled at the empty pot.

“Hungry like the wolf, huh?” He teased. They both groaned and rubbed their too full stomachs. Laura gave him a purely unapologetic grin. Derek blinked sleepily, too tired to even roll his eyes. They retired to the living room to watch yet more Netflix. Stiles was being his typical self, which meant quoting along with the movies and telling them totally vital facts.

He was honestly a little proud of the looks on their faces as they went to bed.

** * **

Stiles hadn’t slept on a couch in a long time before this. He recalled why at about four in the morning because his feet hung off the end or he bonked his head on one arm. He was too long and lanky these days and his shoulders were too broad. He gave up and stretched out before going to work on making breakfast. It was better than laying there and feeling awful because he couldn’t sleep.

Things since the Nogitsune hadn’t been great sleep wise anyway so he was pretty used to it. He wasn’t used to Derek stumbling into the kitchen in confusion.

“Oh… Forgot again. I thought the cat was on the counter.” He murmured, sleep soft and warm. Stiles fingers itched a little.

“I don’t sleep very well, especially not on a couch.” He gave Derek a half smile. “Figured I’d cook or something. There’s only so much Netflix I can watch in one day.” He gestured to the cracked eggs and the heating frying pan.

“I can’t sleep without Stiles.” Derek sighed and then made a face. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. He’ll be back tomorrow. Well. Today.” He shrugged a shoulder.

“It’s… been good. Getting to know you, I mean.” Stiles poked at the eggs in the pan to see if they were ready to roll into an omelette yet.

“It’s been a little surreal for me. You’re very different here. Maybe I should get you a cat in my reality.” He grinned.

“You should.” Derek smiled.

“Man, I’m gonna find the most angry looking cuddle monster of a cat I can find. I’ll name it too, so you can’t give it some fussy name or something boring. It’s got to be awesome! Like Yoda or Hedwig!”

“As long as it’s not Pigwidgeon.”

“Oh. OH YES.” Stiles cracked up. “I could call it sour patch too… I called you Sourwolf.” He laughs.

“Am I really that grumpy? That bad?”

“You’re pretty Zen now. You.. had a lot to be grumpy about though, big guy.” Stiles pat his shoulder. Derek hesitated for a second but then tugged Stiles into a hug. Stiles startled a bit but wrapped his arms around him in return. “What’s that for?”

“Just. You’re a tactile guy.” Derek gave him a lopsided smile and patted his shoulders.

“That I am.” He chuckled a bit and then yawned so hard his jaw popped.

“You can sleep in my room if you’d like.” Derek offered. Stiles struggled to keep his emotions in check. He used the eggs as an excuse to hide his face from Derek, turning them over in the pan and plopping the omelette on a plate.

“With you?” He asked.

“I…If you want.” Derek shrugged, blushing over the tops of his cheekbones. Stiles bit his lip a bit. He didn’t care for this Derek the same as his normal Derek. He was softer, more hesitant, less hard. He looked surprisingly vulnerable right now.

“You just miss your cat, don’t you?”

“Pretty much.” Derek relaxed and nodded.

“Alright, nap time.” He grinned, shut down the stove, popped the eggs in the microwave, and went to Derek’s bedroom to crawl in his bed. Derek followed close behind. They laid there for a few moments before Derek pet through Stiles hair again.

It was pretty much everything Stiles ever wanted but at the same time it wasn’t.

** * **

The next morning, they were both woken up by Laura bursting in going “STILES IS GONE! Oh. No. He’s here. Um.”

“Couldn’t fit on the couch.” Stiles muttered. He was flopped half on Derek, with Derek’s fingers still in his hair.

“Can’t sleep without Stiles.” Derek muttered and yawned widely.

“Less creepy when he’s a five pound cat.” Laura countered. “Marin called. The potion is ready so you can go home.”

“Really?” He gasped and sat up. “Like, don’t get me wrong, you guys are awesome, but I miss my dad. The pack will probably fall apart without me too.”

“Don’t get me wrong, but I miss my cat.” Derek laughed and pet Stiles again.

“I’m totally naming your cat pigwidgeon just for that.” He poked at Derek’s stomach, which was a mistake. Rock hard didn’t poke in and he might have sprained something.

“You are both weird. Come on, I gotta get to work. Let’s do this.” She turned and went to go get dressed. Stiles stretched as Derek got out of bed and shifted a little. Stiles hopped up and went to take care of his morning ablutions.

** * **

Stiles knew he was being oddly quiet in the car. He kept staring at Laura and Derek and feeling a sad swoop in his stomach. He would have his.. well not his but a Derek to go home to. Laura was gone, though. He really liked her, he liked how she talked to and about Derek, he liked the sibling rivalry and playful banter. He thought about all the things he missed about his mother and the idea just broke his heart for Derek anew.

“Alright, you’re freaking me out. Do I have something on my face? I’ve known you for two days and this is the most time you’ve been quiet. Even if it is only ten minutes.” Laura teased him. He gave her a halfhearted smile.

“I’m gonna miss you.” He shrugged a bit.

“Yeah you will.” She nodded and gave him a soft smile. She pulled the car to a stop in front of the vet clinic and parked. They headed into the clinic together and he was swooped into a bear hug by Laura. “Give your Derek a hug from me too, ok?” She murmured in his ear. He didn’t trust his voice so he just nodded.

“Alright, I feel it’s my duty on behalf of cat me to make some demands. More scratching posts! Some new toys I definitely won’t play with. Tuna needs to happen like once or twice a week.” He joked. They laughed and seeing Derek’s face lit up like that still felt like a punch in the stomach.

“I’ll take it under advisement. Take care of the other me.” Derek clapped an awkward hand on his shoulder.

“Will do, big guy.” He smiled and then took the potion from Morell.

The taste alone was more of a punishment then Stiles felt he honestly deserved.

He’d barely finished choking it down and trying not to puke when everything felt like it flipped over on its head again.

*** ** *

He woke up to the sounds of Scott freaking out around him and Malia telling everyone not to touch him.

“Stiles!” His dad gasped and pushed them all out of the way to hug him. “Oh god”

“Dad!” He hugged him tight in return and sighed in relief.

“Never do that to me again.” Dad threatened, finally releasing him.

“I won’t, promise.” He smiled in relief. “I had no idea it was going to do that.”

“Where did you go?” Scott asked. Derek hopped in through the window and froze.

“Hey, sourwolf.” Stiles waved at him.

“I texted him.” Malia told him, her face clearly reading ‘you’re welcome.’ Derek’s nostrils flared and he made a soft, vulnerable noise in the back of his throat.

“You smell like—“ His voice cracked and he stopped. Stiles slipped away from his dad and tugged Derek into a hug.

“Laura wanted me to give you this.” He muttered. Derek sucked in a sharp breath. His chest shuddered against Stiles’ own when he hugged back so tightly Stiles thought his ribs might crack. Stiles just patted his shoulders and tried to hum in a soothing manner.

“Laura?” Scott stage whispered behind him. Stiles just nodded a bit.

“So, turns out there’s alternate realities.” He nodded. Derek finally pulled back, taking a couple deep breaths to steady himself. “I’m a cat there. Laura’s still around. I was advised to not look around too much though.” He added apologetically when Scott looked like he was about to ask.

“You’re a cat?”

“Derek’s cat.” He nodded and grinned at their incredulous faces.

“So you were a cat the whole time?”

“Nope, which made Laura freak out. She almost brained me with wooden spoons in the kitchen.” He laughed. Derek half sobbed and half laughed. The sound practically ripped

Stiles’ heart clean out of his chest. He opened his mouth, not that he knew what he could possibly say to help him, but it was in vain. Derek hopped out the window without another word, heading quickly for the Toyota.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes before Stiles clapped his hands together.

“I’m going to get Derek a cat.” He announced. Everyone, predictably, groaned. There were even a couple palms clapped to foreheads.

Stiles’ work here was done.

** * **

Stiles went to three different shelters before he found the PERFECT cat for Derek. She was a six year old cat they called a tortie, which meant she was black and orange with big yellow green eyes and a permanent bitch face. She looked like she was hungry for souls but all she did when Stiles got her out of the cage was curl up to him and purr loud enough that it could be heard by the worker across the room.

“I like this one! What’s her name?” He grinned.

“Oh, Patches! We call her sour patch sometimes though.” She smiled at him. Stiles couldn’t help but crack up laughing.

“You are perfect, Sourpatch.” He grinned at the cat. She did a slow blink at him.

A few pages of paperwork and eighty bucks later he was on his way to Derek’s loft with Sourpatch riding shotgun in the jeep.

** * **

Derek did an honest to god barrel roll over the back of the couch when Stiles came in uninvited.

“Down, kujo. It’s just me.”

“Dog jokes, Stiles? Really.” Derek sighed, leaning back against the couch in what Stiles is going to assume is relief.

“I am hysterical. You enjoy it.” Stiles retorted and hefted the carrier up. “I come bearing a most glorious gift!”

“Please tell me you didn’t get me a cat.”

“Ok, I won’t tell you! I’ll show you!” He grinned and got her out. “Lookit her precious grumpy face!” He held her out. She gave Derek an unimpressed stare to match his own.

“Stiles…”

“Her name is Patches. Short for Sourpatch. It’s meant to be. Accept your destiny, dude.”

Derek stepped closer with a sigh and gently scooped Patches away from Stiles to give her a dubious look. She gave him an equally dubious look before rubbing her cheek right into the scruff of Derek’s chin.

Stiles was not jealous of a cat because that would be pathetic.

“See, she loves you, Derbear.” Stiles grinned. Derek froze and looked up at him with a wounded look. “Oh.. oh god, Derek I didn’t mean.. I’m sorry.” He panicked and wrapped a hand around Derek’s bicep. “She was just teasing you when I was there and it rubbed off.”

“Why? Why were you there? What were you even trying to do?” Derek sighed, setting Patches down and shaking Stiles’ hand off of him.

“The spell was to right a wrong… I just.. thought it might help.”

“So you were trying to fix me?” He frowned sharply at Stiles, getting into his face like he hadn’t since they’d first met. “I’m not broken, Stiles, and I don’t need your help!”

“I know you’re not broken! You’re just… fucking miserable sometimes, dude!”

“I wonder why that is.” He drawled sarcastically, refusing to look Stiles in the face.

“That’s the point, Derek!” Stiles flailed his arms out. “It was… I wanted to see if life could deal you a less shitty hand.”

“So you go to another reality where I’m still stuck with you?” He arched a brow at Stiles and idly scratched Patches behind the ears.

That… that hurt. Stiles blinked back a sudden hot rush to his eyes and gulped the lump in his throat down where it sunk like an ice cold stone to the bottom of his stomach.

“I wanted to make you happy. You deserve to be happy.” Stiles replied, voice quiet and a bit lower than he wanted it to be. “I’m not good for anything else. I know, I’m a giant hyperactive spaz and I never shut up and I can’t do anything. I thought…just this once, I could do something that didn’t end in more shit. Magic where I didn’t drown in an ice bath or get possessed and murder people.” He stared at his fingers. “Fairy God-Stiles or whatever.”

“Why me?” Derek asked, settling patches down on the table.

“What?” Stiles looked up at him, puzzled.

“Why not right the wrongs you did, Stiles? Why try and fix my mistakes if you don’t think I’m a fuck up?” Derek fisted a hand at the neck of Stiles shirt. “Do magic that didn’t end in shit but why ME?”

“I don’t know.”

“Liar.” Derek growled, stepping into his space with teeth a little longer than they should be. Patches hissed at him and backed up. Stiles felt anger roll around the hurt and upset in his stomach.

“Because I wanted you to be happy! I wanted you to smile and laugh and I wanted you to want me around!” He snapped. “I’m selfish and stupid and I wanted you to love me back!” He shoved at Derek and backed up, immediately wishing he could take his words back.

Derek’s eyes were wide, his brows pulled up and pinched in confusion, mouth open just enough that Stiles could see his stupidly cute front teeth. He looked ten years younger and vulnerable and Stiles did the only thing he could do.

He turned and ran out of the loft.

** * **

“It smells like sadness and Cheetos in here.” Malia wrinkled her nose at him three days later. Stiles tugged the blankets back over his head and kicked the empty Cheetos bag out from under the covers. “Don’t be like that.” She sighed at him and crawled on the bed and under the covers to face him.

“Can’t you just leave me here to wallow?” He muttered petulantly around his fingers as he sucked cheeto dust off of them.

“Nope. I’d be a pretty sucky sister if I did that.”

“That’s still weird.” He wrinkled his nose. She shrugged a little.

“Coyote. It doesn’t bother me that bad. Besides, you might just have a thing for Hales.”

“Don’t remind me.” He sighed, closing his eyes. She poked the tip of his nose.

“Don’t make me kick your ass.” She threatened.

“Great pep talk.” He teased her. She rolled her eyes but smiled a bit.

“He likes you too, you know.” She murmured after a moment. “In Mexico, Braedon was right there but he called for you. He talked to you. Dying puts things in perspective like that sometimes.”

“He doesn’t act like it. He didn’t even stop me from leaving.”

“He’s scared.” She shrugs. “You’re scared too. You should just mate and get it over with. Then there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.”

“I’ll get right on that. Should I yell surprise before I climb him like a tree?” He shook his head. She punched him in the bicep. “Ouch! Stiles abuse! Not cool.”

“Get out of bed. Take a shower, brush your teeth, and go talk to him. Do it or I’ll throw you in a cold bath.”

“You’re a hateful being.”

“Not sorry.” She patted him and got out of bed. “Don’t make me tell Dad to cancel the Netflix.”

He gave a long suffering sigh and crawled out of bed to do as ordered.

** * **

Derek was waiting for him when he arrived at the loft, looking wary as he shifted his weight. Stiles chewed his bottom lip and hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“Did you mean it?” Derek asked. He sounded unsure himself.

“Mean what?” Stiles evaded a bit, gnawing at his thumbnail.

“You love me?” Derek asked, stepping closer. Stiles gulped and took a deep breath, meeting Derek’s gaze with his own.

“Yeah. I meant it. I mean it.” He nodded. “I love you. I’m pretty sure I was already gone on you when we were in the pool. I love your empty threats, your deadpan humor, and especially love when you make that face after my dad says something you expect to hear from me. I love that you never give up, even if you’re half dead and miserable. I trust you with my life. I might have had a version of you around but I missed you.”

Derek face softened imperceptibly, the corners of his mouth turning up and his eyes looking slightly glassy and awed. Stiles wasn’t sure what to do but Derek slowly cupped his cheeks and leaned in, pressing their mouths together.

Stiles gasped, eyes falling shut without any conscious effort. He spread his hands over Derek’s ribs, opening his mouth so Derek could bite and suck on his bottom lip. He moaned softly and Derek’s thumbs rubbed his cheekbones. His stomach swooped with relief and he melted against Derek, feeling a tension he didn’t even realize he had been carrying dissolve from his spine.

Derek pulled back and Stiles leaned in, chasing his mouth. Derek chuckled and smoothed his thumbs over Stiles’ cheekbones again.

“You do make me happy, Stiles. You don’t need magic to do that.” He murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose against the tip of stiles’ own.

Stiles couldn’t help huffing out a delighted laugh before he moved to slot their mouths together again.

** * **  
Stiles Stilinskitty finished his bowl of tuna and hopped onto his new cat perch to groom his paw smugly. His human smiled and scratched him behind the ear. Stiles gave a loud, proud purr, glad that he was being appreciated for all he did to keep his human happy.


End file.
